Father's Day Camp

Started out this Father's Day weekend with a thunderstorm. I got to Nick's at 5ish as he and Dad just got up from a quick snooze. We had everything pretty much wrapped up to go and we chickened out big time. The A/C, cold beer, and a soft bed could not be passed up. We opted to smoke the backstrap for supper right there at the house. It was wonderful! No this was not what we had actually sought out to do, but we also just wanted an excuse to hang out.
When we finally did wake up in the morning we took our sweet time getting out the door. No rush; this is vacation. After loading up the boat and climbing in, (even Charlie, whom has never done the boat thing before) we headed out. As Nick launched out the boat Dad asked dad questions. We got everything?" Yup. "We got gas?" Yup. "Boat plug in?"...uh oh. Nick had to reload the boat and we had to dump the water out. Great start. Attempt 2. Nick throttles the boat and we are clearly overloaded. One more second and we were going to be taking on water at the front. We motor up to our clean, clear sandbar for a day of camping and Nick blows right past it. I look back at him and he points ahead. The bank is a mud bank slowing being retaken by the willows, smartweed, and water-hemp. This is camp. I was beyond perplexed but Nick had it in his head that this was the only place to be. I was so turned around my mind was blank. Nick doubled back to the van for more gas, the weed eater, and the rest of the supplies. Dad started on lunch as Nick left, or that was the plan. After Nick left we discovered that we left the camp box in the van for load two. No lunch yet. So, Dad and I fished. Started the trip with a nice cat.

I eventually went to collect firewood and Nick made it back with the rest. I cleared us a spot and then enjoyed Dad's sausage egg and hashbrowns! Now that we were set we just fished. Dad no more than got done asking whether there were pike in this river, to which I replied no, and he laid into a fish. Pike!

It may not have been a monster but he was tickled that he caught one at all. We continued to fish as a large ominous cloud worked its way over the top of us. Some quick smart phone work and we knew it was time to set up tents and tidy camp.

 Dad liked the idea of a large catfish yanking his rods into the water right from the boat holds.

 Here is a view to the south of our camp. This was as the rain started.

Once the rain came in Dad said it was crucial that a nap was had during the storm. He and I had the large tent while Nick and Charlie had the smaller one. Just as Dad started to drift off I look out the tent window to see this:

 

He felt that it was much cooler outside in the rain storm without clothing. His 'dry' clothing was in the tent with the dog. It was one of the funnier things I have seen. I somehow managed to even get a "Nicksquatch" pic: HA!!!

 After the rain we caught a few carp, both of which were deemed Des Moines River walleyes. We tried the whole trout pose:

Before it got dark Dad cooked us some fantastic hamburgers while we built some trotline willow switches. We sat around the campfire and fished until 1 in the morning. I should say Nick and I did, while we listened to Dad snore off the Dallas trip. No fish that evening but we still had a wonderful evening. When we woke up in the morning the first time the fog was so thick you couldn't see ten feet out. The second time I got up at about the same time Nick did to hear Nick yell "we got one!" One of the ditty poles had a catfish on it and it was even one I had set, not one of the six he had set.

Eventually, we came to a point of food and again, Dad came through. Eggs, hashbrowns, and brats. It was amazing as usual. Fishing was slow so we called it a camp and packed up to fish at the nice pristine sandbar across the river.

 

The sandbar was awesome and cleansing. We caught a few fish and Nick took Charlie out for his first swim. That dog can't swim. It was a wonderful trip and I am thoroughly exhausted, plus a shower and a nap was awesome.

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